Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to an improved system and method for recycling scrap vehicles, such as automobiles, and, in particular, to an integrated vehicle recycling system that reduces the amount of space, labor, expense and time required to recycle scrap vehicles and which is capable of be located within a building.
Individual components are known for increasing the efficiency and profitability of recycling junked vehicles. For example, car crushers such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,413 to Allen B. Sharp and Richard A. Hull, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,176 increase the potential profit available in selling junked vehicles for scrap since their use permits a greater number of vehicles to be hauled per truck load, and thus have reduced the price of hauling junked vehicles to scrap dealers and processor. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,128, issued to Allen B. Sharp and Richard A. Hull, discloses an improved machine and method for removing engines from junked vehicles, thereby reducing the time and labor associated with removing these components from junked vehicles. However, even with these advances there is room for improvement.
In particular, traditional salvage operations are land intensive, requiring on the order of two acres of land. With an ever-dwindling supply of land available for such operations, there is a need to reduce the amount of space required to perform such operations. Additionally, in the past a large portion of the salvage operation has been performed outside. This presents several disadvantages. First, outdoor scrap operations make it difficult to control theft and vandalism. This is especially true of high value components such as copper, aluminum and air bag systems. Outdoor scrap operations also have reduced efficiencies and may even be inoperable during inclement weather. Scrap operations are being subjected to ever-stricter environmental standards, such as edicts of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. Outdoor scrap operations have difficulty meeting these standards, especially those relating to controlling run-off and soil contamination. Additionally, traditional salvage operations are typically set up with little or no thought being given to how to optimize the efficiency and/or reducer the labor required to perform the salvage operation.
These and other needs are provided by a vehicle recycling which includes a boom-type crane equipped with an engine pulling mechanism, a hold down mechanism adapted to restrain at least the body portion of the vehicle from while the engine is being removed from the vehicle by the engine pulling mechanism, and a material press for crushing the body of the vehicle after the engine has been removed. The components of the system are preferably mounted on a concrete floor which may be located inside a building.
The hold-down mechanism may be mounted on a hold-down table having a generally horizontal, elongate bed. At least one hold-down beam is movable relative to the bed between a first or open position where the beam does not interfere as vehicles are being loaded onto and off of the table and a second or closed position at which the beam is in contact with the upper surface of the of a vehicle located on the table so as to restrict and restrain the vehicle against movement while the engine is being removed via the engine pulling mechanism. A hydraulic cylinder connected between the bed and the hold-down beam. The cylinder is retractable to move the beam to its open position and extendable to move the beam to its closed position. According to one embodiment, the hold-down is substantially vertical in its open position and substantially horizontal in its closed position. The hold-down beam may be substantially L-shaped and may be pivotally connected to the bed for movement between its open and closed positions. Preferably, the hold-down assembly includes a pair of laterally displaced hold-down beams that are interconnected by transverse members to form an integral assembly. The hold-down beams may carry a plurality of teeth positioned to engage against the top surface of a vehicle located on the hold-down table when the hold-down beam is moved to its closed position. The hold-down table may be divided into a staging are and a hold-down area, both of which are sized to hold a vehicle.
The recycling system may also include a feed press adapted to feed vehicle bodies into the material press following removal of the engine by the engine puller. The a feed press may be interposed between the hold-down table and the material press. The feed press may include a base positioned on the concrete floor and a generally horizontal bed which is sized to receive a vehicle. The bed is mounted for movement relative to the base between a retracted position at which the bed is adjacent to and interposed between the hold-down table and the material press and an extended position at which the feed press bed overlies and is supported from below by the bed of the material press. At least one hydraulic cylinder is provided for moving the bed between its retracted and extended positions.
Alternatively, the feed press may have a stationary bed and pusher plate adapted to move across the bed between a retracted position at which it is laterally displaced from the material press and an extended position at which it is adjacent to the material press. At least one hydraulic cylinder is provided for moving the pusher arm between its extended and retracted position.
The vehicle recycling system may also include a component disassembly where the components such as the engine and transmission are manually separated from each other. During engine removal, the operator maneuvers the boom of the crane to pop the hood of the vehicle and remove desired components from the vehicle, such as its radiator, condenser, engine and transmission. Individual components that do not require further processing, e.g. radiators, are placed into bins located by the hold-down table. Components, such as the engine/transmission assembly, that require further disassembly are fed to the component disassembly station via a conveyor or roller system where they are further disassembled and placed in segregated bins that are located adjacent to the disassembly station. Once the engine and other high value components are from the vehicle, the crane operator loads the vehicle onto the bed of the feed press. The feed press then moves the vehicle onto the bed of the material press where it is compressed by the lid of the material press. After the vehicle has been crushed, the back wall of the press is raised to allow the crushed vehicle to be removed by a material handling vehicle such as a loader.